The invention relates to a support structure for a motor vehicle.
Such support structures are well known in modern vehicle construction and are important components of a motor vehicle. They consist mainly of a front wall cross beam and two A-pillars, which are designed, on the one hand, to ensure the required stability and connection rigidity and, on the other hand, to absorb impact forces through deformation in a vehicle collision. In particular, the support structure of the motor vehicle must have a stiffness that minimizes damage to the vehicle and the risk to the occupant in the event of a vehicle crash. Typically, the front wall cross beam is connected to the A-pillars by way of simple flange connections, which may typically cause a significant intrusion into the front section of the vehicle and thus also into the passenger compartment in an impact.
DE 10 2006 055 721 A1 discloses, for example, a support structure for a motor vehicle with two A-pillars, a front wall and a front wall cross beam designed as a hollow profile. The ends of the front wall cross-member are connected to the respective associated A-pillar via flanges which are produced by bending corresponding portions of the front wall cross beam designed as a hollow profile.
Another support structure for a vehicle at a strut mount is described, for example, in the published patent application EP 2353974 A2. The strut mount is in an upper connection region connected with a fender carrier and in a lower connection region with one of the longitudinal beams arranged with an offset from the fender carrier. To connect the strut mount to the longitudinal beam, two legs of the strut mount clasps the longitudinal beam embodied as a hollow profile, wherein the first leg which is integrally formed with the strut mount is firmly connected to the longitudinal beam. The second leg of the strut mount embodied as an additional component is fixedly connected to the strut mount in a first end region and rests in a second end region against an outer wall of the longitudinal beam.